US support for the Moroccan Sahara

The renewal by the United States of America of its explicit recognition of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco over its southern provinces constitutes a very strong endorsement at the highest international level of the autonomy proposal as the only possible solution to an artificial conflict that has gone on for too long.  

This renewed stance reflects Washington's clear and consistent position, and confirms Morocco's historical, legal and political legitimacy over its Sahara, which admits of no regional or international dispute.

This US position represents a further validation of an undeniable reality on the ground, and is also an indication of the growing international support for the Moroccan proposal, characterised by its seriousness and realism. 

This renewed stance by the United States constitutes a strong message directed at the enemies of the Kingdom's territorial integrity, led by Algeria and its creation, the terrorist group Polisario Front.  

Algeria, driven by narrow ideological calculations, is opposed to the logic of legality, history and geography, and its diplomacy has not even been able to use appropriate language in its communiqués and speeches, resorting only to the word ‘regrets’ to express its dissatisfaction at the reiteration of the firm position of the United States on the question of the Moroccan Sahara.

It should be noted that diplomatic discourse, according to international custom, is subject to precise drafting techniques that take into account prudence and objectivity, in accordance with the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which established a general framework for respect for national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of States.

From this perspective, the use of the term ‘regrets’ is understood, in diplomatic language, as an admission of responsibility or recognition of an error. It is, therefore, an implicit confession of the failure of Algerian diplomacy and of the exposure of its lies before the great powers. 

In fact, it is an expression that falls within what is known as linguistic diplomacy, which demands caution in the use of symbolic expressions and requires extremely precise wording to avoid legal and political consequences.

Finally, this ‘lament’ expressed by Algeria does not hide its annoyance at the strengthening of the United States' continued support for Morocco, and reflects confusion at the shift in the balance of international support in favour of the Kingdom, which strengthens its political position and weakens the arguments of the opponents of the Kingdom's territorial unity. 

Lahoucine Bekkar Sbaai, lawyer at the Bar Association before the Courts of Appeal of Agadir and Laayoune and researcher in migration and human rights

Translation from Arabic by: Abdessamad Benyaich